Time running out for cannabidiol bill

A state lawmaker has doubts about whether a bill legalizing a certain type of marijuana extract for medical uses will clear the Legislature before the session ends this spring.

State Representative John Spiros (R-Marshfield) is sponsoring a bill that would legalize the use of cannabidiol, also known as CBD. The marijuana-based mixture has shown promise in helping to prevent seizures in young children, and the Marshfield Republican wants to give Wisconsin families a chance to pursue it as a treatment option.

However, Spiros says there’s still a lot of confusion about what CBD actually is and he believes many lawmakers are confusing it with the debate over medical marijuana. While CBD comes from the same plant, it has no hallucinogenic properties. Spiros says “this is not medical marijuana,” it’s just an oil derived from that plant.

Spiros says he believes the Assembly could pass the bill if it comes up for a vote, but he has doubts about the Senate taking it up before the session ends in just a few weeks.